County planning staff and consultant Michael Baer of Wallace Montgomery presented draft chapters of Worcester County's comprehensive plan Oct. 7, focusing on community facilities, economic development and tourism, and transportation.

Baer said the community facilities chapter inventories government services and identifies gaps in public safety, schools, libraries, parks and health services. The economic development and tourism chapter — developed with county staff input — aims to support a resilient, inclusive local economy by promoting tourism, small business, agriculture and light industry, and identifies objectives for business retention, entrepreneurship, tourism-season extension and workforce development.

The transportation chapter is framed as a high-level guide that will avoid duplicating project-level technical work performed by MDOT; it addresses functional classification, transit, pedestrian and bicycle needs, airports and rail, and links between land use and transportation. Baer noted that many transportation matters are addressed in other plans and that the comprehensive plan should summarize priorities and reference detailed studies.

Commissioners were invited to provide input by email or through staff; Baer said planners would incorporate comments and return with additional chapters, including a detailed water‑resources element that requires more technical work. The consultant outlined the remainder of the adoption process: additional planning‑commission work sessions, Planning Commission recommendation, county public hearings, a 60‑day state agency review and final county adoption.